T cell aging: naive but not young

J Exp Med. 2005 Mar 21;201(6):837-40. doi: 10.1084/jem.20050341.

Abstract

The immune system exhibits profound age-related changes, collectively termed immunosenescence. The most visible of these is the decline in protective immunity, which results from a complex interaction of primary immune defects and compensatory homeostatic mechanisms. The sum of these changes is a dysregulation of many processes that normally ensure optimal immune function. Recent advances suggest that old mice can produce fully functional new T cells, opening both intriguing inquiry avenues and raising critical questions to be pursued.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Aging / immunology*
  • Animals
  • Cellular Senescence / immunology*
  • Immunity, Cellular / physiology*
  • Mice
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology*